Another addition to my Christmas challenge, day 9! This is more winter themed than Christmas themed, and that only barely, but it's a good story I think.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Pacifica laughed in his face.

"What? I don't think it's that bad." Dipper defended, arms crossed as he looked at her, his face red from his own embarrassment, though he would say it was from the cold, despite it not being even a little cold in Piedmont.

"You don't think that the ship name Dipcifica isn't completely and utterly laughable?" Pacifica asked, proving her point by laughing at it again.

"Mabel came up with it." He mumbled, bending down to lace up his ice skates. Pacifica changed the subject.

"I still can't believe that there's ice skating in California." She said as she skated around him, much more nimble on the blades than him.

"Well, there's a reason it's inside." He said, nearly stumbling.

"Everyone is here. It's almost like there's nothing to do in Piedmont."

"Because there's nothing to do in Piedmont."

"If this is all anyone ever does in the winter why are you so bad at it?"

"Y'know I thought you might've gotten nicer since we started dating, but I guess I was wrong."

"Seriously Dipper, is this your first time skating?"

"I've gone a couple times. I usually fall and hurt myself, so I stopped. Why're you so good at skating?"

"My parents. They want me to be good at everything. Except for all the really fun stuff." She offered him her hand, "So you don't fall, dork."

"Thanks." He wobbled on his skates and took a deep breath.

"I've got this."

"Sure you do." They'd been dating for a few years and were about to finish high school the next semester. They were going in separate directions for college, but that didn't seem to threaten them. It was weird how you could feel like you could do anything once you've faced the end of the world and won.

"Are you scared for college?" She asked. He'd been accepted into several esteemed colleges and had had to choose. It had been a difficult choice.

"I'm scared for some things," Dipper confessed.

"Like?"

"Like meeting other people, trying to make friends, finding out how unintelligent I actually am, being away from Mabel."

"Mabel's going to a good school too, though." Mabel had gotten into the art school she'd dreamed of. Dipper didn't even know what he dreamed of.

"Yeah, and I'm really happy for her. I kind of thought she'd be the one a total wreck that we're going to different schools… But she's already befriended her future roommate and they've color coordinated their room designs and I know she'll be just fine."

"And you don't think you'll be just fine?" Pacifica asked, squeezing his hand as they glided around.

"No, honestly. I wish I did."

"Babe, you have no reason to be worried. You're the smartest guy I know. You're going to crush college."

"But what if I don't get along with my roommate? Or make any friends? What if everyone hates me?" He freaked out, stumbling and falling, pulling her down with her. She laughed and untangled herself from his post-puberty lanky legs. He and Mabel were still exactly the same height though, much to his chagrin. Mabel had that centimeter to him but didn't mention it much, especially now that he was freaking out about university.

"What would make you feel better about the whole thing?" She asked as she helped him up and he leaned against a railing, trying to catch his breath and quell his flaming blush.

"I don't know. Maybe if I had a friend there already, but you know how hard smart people are to talk to."

"Yeah, you're a real pain." She joked, gently nudging his shoulder.

"Could we just talk about anything else? You came all the way down here for winter break and I'm just depressing you."

"If I wanted to not be depressed, I wouldn't date you." She teased again, and he gave her a look.

"You know I love your brand of humor but I think I've got destroying my self-esteem thing down right now." She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"You need to relax, and this is clearly not helping you. Let's go get food."

"Amen to that." He was eager to unlace his skates, exhausted by his own panic and by trying to stay upright on thin ice.

"It was nice and romantic of you to try, though." He blushed again.

"Hey, no big deal, anything for you." Pacifica glanced at him in the tacky lighting of the crowded skating rink and her heart somewhat melted. He was such a sweet guy, and she truly felt like she could take on the world when she was with him.

"I love you." She knew she didn't say it enough, that she never could. Both of them felt so sure in their love for each other and so sure that nothing they ever did would be enough to display that love. No matter how many years passed, part of them would always just be insecure kids playing at being adult.

"I love you too." As they walked out of the rink, Pacifica tried her best to give a pep talk.

"You've defeated an interdimensional demon before, right? Or am I thinking of my other boyfriend?"

"No, that was me." Sometimes he just totally ignored her sarcastic comments, mostly because it annoyed her when he didn't play along.

"So how much harder is it going to be to defeat basic human interaction?" She tried to encourage.

"A lot harder. I don't make friends very easy… I don't know why it's just… It's always been me and Mabel, and she always has other friends, and I never do." She squeezed his hand.

"You have friends. You have a lot of friends back in Gravity Falls." He smiled sadly.

"Yeah, and it was downright supernatural of me to make friends like that. It's one of the weirdest things that happened that summer."

"Stop being so mean to yourself, Dipper. You're smart and talented and good and so tough… You don't see it now, but things are going to be alright."

"How do you know?"

"Why don't you believe me?" She stopped him in his tracks and made him look at her.

"Say it after me, Mason Pines, things are going to be alright."

"Things are going to be alright," He repeated, a wearied smile tugging at his lips as he looked at her.

"And here's how I know. Because we'll be together, and Dipper, you and I could take on the world." He smiled at her and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, you're right. Now let's go get wings."